Foreign Ministry's remarks echo statements made by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev last week that Syria's leaders should step down if they cannot enact reforms.

China's Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that Syria should move faster to honor reform promises, nearly a week after it rejected a Western-backed U.N. draft resolution condemning the bloody crackdown in Syria.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin made the comments at a regular news briefing.

Liu's remarks echo earlier statements made by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev last week that Syria's leaders should step down if they cannot enact reforms.

Both Russia and China drew criticism from the West after they joined forces last week to veto a European-drafted U.N. Security Council resolution condemning Syria for its bloody crackdown on protesters.